Stepbrother: The Game He Plays

by Lucy Ivey

  His voice trailed off as he turned his head away.

  “I don’t know why she didn’t see it. The evil in him. It’s like she was blinded by loving him so she didn’t realize he was going to kill her. I don’t understand some women. How can you love somebody so much that you don’t see who they really are?”

  He was lost in his thoughts as he continued.

  “Anything he said to do, she did. Anything he said not to do, she didn’t. He had so much power over her. I don’t know how many times we saw him hit her. We would wake up in the middle of the night to her screaming, begging him to stop. It got to the point that we didn’t even talk about it anymore. In the morning, after he had beaten her up the night before, if she had a black eye or busted nose, Joe and I pretended not to see it.”

  I searched for the right words of empathy to share. Nothing. Only the whisper of his name escaped my quivering lips as I reached my hand out to him. He let me hold his hand, gently folding his fingers into mine.

  “He hit Joe a couple of times to punish him for standing up for me.”

  This truth seemed unbelievable to him.

  I found it hard to believe, too.

  Picturing Joe as a victim was unnatural until I envisioned him as a young boy.

  My shoulders sank toward my chest at the image of a young, helpless blue-eyed boy trying to defend his brother against a monster.

  “Joe has always protected me. I love him more than I’ll ever love anyone.”

  His worshipful words were more than just a younger brother’s love for his older brother. He idolized Joe.

  “The night our mom died, Joe promised he’d always protect me. No matter what. That’s why he killed Tom.”

  “What?” I asked in total shock at Justin’s words. “Joe killed your mom’s boyfriend?”

  “He had to, Karley, or he would have killed us.”

  The words were rolling over me like an avalanche. I couldn’t breathe thinking about what the boys had gone through, what Justin had gone through, and then my mind went to Joe and what he had to do.

  “Does your dad know?”

  “Yeah,” he admitted. “That’s why he gives him such a break when he’s being a fucking asshole.”

  A boyish smile spread across his face under his pink cheeks.

  “Sorry,” he whispered. I shook my head letting him know an apology for his language was unnecessary. The smile disappeared from his lips. “I guess that’s why we all do.”

  Pain brushed over his face.

  “After that day, he was different. Something in him changed. He was no longer afraid. He was smart and strong, and I wanted to be like him more than ever. I promised myself I would.”

  His eyes glazed over and his stare became distant.

  I looked out the window to see if Joe was still outside but he was gone.

  I settled my eyes back on Justin.

  He looked fragile across the table from me.

  “How did he do it?”

  “What? Kill Tom?”

  I nodded my head slowly after hearing his name.

  “He shot him. Ironically, with the gun Tom used to threaten us with all the time.”

  The involuntary laughter in his voice was uncomfortable.

  “Karley, Joe had to kill him to protect me.”

  I felt a tight squeezing around my own neck listening to him.

  “I remember how frantic Joe looked. Outside himself. It was like he was another person,” he said closing his eyes. “He raced into the bedroom and got the gun from under Tom’s pillow and came out with it. He told Tom to stop and get off me, but the asshole didn’t.”

  Justin pulled his hand away from mine to quickly wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

  “Joe walked up to him and put the barrel against his head and pulled the trigger. No hesitation. One shot, point blank.”

  The execution-style way Justin described his brother killing another human being was disturbing. An image of a small, fragile thirteen-year-old boy defending his family against a violent man made my stomach tighten.

  “I saw her die, Karley.” His voice was steady and low. “I looked right into her eyes and knew she was dying … and it was the most …”

  He couldn’t continue. It was too much for him.

  He cleared his throat and continued with another thought, “By the time the cops got there it was too late, she was already dead. Tom was already dead, too.”

  “I’m so sorry, Justin,” I said barely making sound with my words.

  After a weak smile, he looked away.

  “Is that when you came here to live with your dad?”

  Justin nodded as he took a small sip of his hot chocolate.

  “We stayed in separate foster homes for three weeks before they released us to our dad.” Justin wiped away another tear before it fell. “Being without Joe was the worst time in my life.”

  There was no doubt he loved his brother more than anyone.

  “Our dad has a lot of guilt for not getting us help sooner.”

  “Did he know what was going on?”

  “With Tom?”

  I nodded my head.

  “Not until Joe called him the night he shot him. He called our dad, and Dad called the police.”

  There was a quiver in his voice but he sounded angry. It took a moment for me to find the courage to take his hand in mine again.

  “You have to understand, that night changed everything for both of us … but that’s why he is the way he is.”

  I was thankful he told me everything. I felt like I understood him better. But seeing him this way, broken and completely exhausted from the memories he shared with me was too much for me. It was all still too much for me.

  “Hey,” I whispered squeezing his hand gently, “do you wanna skip the rest of the day … you know, since I’m a pro and all now, and just drink hot chocolate and watch people fall down on the slopes?”

  I was far from a pro but the joke was meant to lighten the subject.

  He held back a smile as long as he could until his perfect teeth split his lips open.

  “No. A few more runs … and then we’ll stop.” He laughed. “I gotta make sure I teach you everything I know before I leave tomorrow.”

  Tomorrow?

  I’d forgotten they were leaving tomorrow. And I left the day after them.

  I released his hand.

  “I forgot we all have to go back to college.”

  He heard the disappointment in my voice.

  “Are you gonna miss me?”

  Yes.

  There was no hesitation in my thought. I would miss him. A lot.

  I held up my hand putting my index finger and thumb an inch apart from each other.

  “A little.” My teasing tone didn’t fool him. He knew the truth.

  “Well, I have a feeling I’m going to miss you a lot.”

  Heat immediately rushed throughout my body and a throbbing sensation ran through my thighs as he took my hand back in his and raised it to his lips.

  “A lot,” he repeated before kissing it.

  When the three of us got home, there was a note on the kitchen table for us from Bill. He and my mother had gone to dinner with friends, and he suggested the three of us hang out together tonight.

  “It says we should show you around town,” Justin said looking down at the note. “What do you say?”

  “Why?” Joe asked walking over to the fridge. He opened it up and pulled out a bottle of juice. “She’ll be able to find her way around here soon enough.”

  I hated how he always talked about me like I wasn’t in the room.

  “He’s right,” I said looking at Justin. “It’s your last night here before you go back. I’m sure you guys wanna hang out with your friends.”

  Justin looked at Joe disapprovingly.

  “No, we’ll all go into town and get a burger or something.”

  He waited for Joe to respond.

  “Fine,” Joe said putting the bottle on
the counter. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

  He walked out of the kitchen without looking at me.

  “Justin,” I said quietly, “it’s okay, really. I still have packing to do.”

  “And I still have packing to do,” he said walking over to me. “But I would rather hang out with you.”

  The warm rush washed over my entire body again. I shyly lowered my head. But he gently lifted my chin with the tips of his fingers. Staring into his electric-blue eyes, I nodded my head slowly.

  “Good girl,” he whispered.

  I wasn’t sure where we were going or what I should wear. My mother had told me I’d have no problem making friends because around this time of year, the resort and the town were filled with a lot of people my age visiting family or vacationing.

  I wanted to fit the part. To look like one of them. But more importantly, to look like I was good enough to be with an Osborne.

  Remembering Sarah’s beauty intimidated me. She looked like someone Justin would want. I wanted him to want me. I wanted his attention to be only on me tonight. I needed to do my best to make sure that happened.

  I looked through the outfits I’d brought. Nothing seemed to be good enough. Thinking of him looking at me the way he did earlier and a few minutes ago, sent an instant, throbbing rush between my thighs. I tightened my legs together to ease the pain as I welcomed it at the same time.

  I found myself looking through the back of my closet at the clothes my mother bought me. Anything from her collection would be perfect. The new pair of jeans I chose were dark, almost black, and a lot tighter than the ones I normally wore. The few curves I had in my hips filled them out perfectly.

  The raspberry-colored sweater had a low-cut V-neck. It fit snugly across my chest giving the illusion of fuller breasts. As another plus, it matched the jewel in the gold teardrop earrings she bought me. The heels I chose to wear would not only give me a few more inches in height but hopefully the perception of a few more years in age.

  I was in the middle of taking a picture of myself to send to Marissa when a knock at the door interrupted me.

  “Yeah?”

  “We’re ready,” Joe said in a voice informing me I had better be, too.

  His footsteps were on the stairs before I had a chance to reply.

  Asshole.

  Immediately I felt guilty for my thought. I needed to give him a chance. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy.

  After one last quick glance at myself in the mirror, I grabbed my new coat and turned off the light.

  I hesitated at my door hearing deep, laughter downstairs by the front door. It belonged to Joe. His guard was down because he thought he was alone with his brother. But I heard his laughter. It was inviting and pulled me toward him. He saw me standing at the top of the stairs and his laughter stopped. He didn’t take his eyes off me. With every step, he watched. Both of them watched. Their blue eyes locked on every move I took toward them. Their stare was suffocating and I struggled to breathe the closer I got to both of them.

  Joe had never looked at me the way he was looking at me now. Attracted. Accepting. I welcomed his attraction to me, his acceptance of me. But I was wrong. My smile caused the brightness in his eyes to darken. He locked his jaw hard into place making it impossible for me to look away. Impossible for me to escape him. He broke our stare first and walked out the door, making it clear I didn’t belong with them. I lowered my head and looked away.

  Why do you care what he thinks of you?

  The thought crossed my mind even before Justin asked me.

  “I don’t know,” I answered quietly.

  “Well, I think you look amazing,” he whispered helping me get on my coat. “And I know he does, too.”

  “Thank you.” I wiped a stray tear falling down my cheek. “I don’t know where we’re going so I hope this outfit is fine.”

  “It’s perfect, Karley.” He leaned toward me again and whispered into my ear, “You’re perfect.”

  His eyes were only inches away from me. His pupils dilated like an eclipse hiding the sun. In that moment, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He locked his stare on mine and held it long enough for me to understand he was wrestling with some thought he was having before he closed his eyes, possibly second-guessing it, before opening the door behind him.

  As the door opened, the cool air rushed in carrying his cologne to my nose and I continued inhaling the scent as we walked out to the truck.

  Joe was waiting by the truck door for me, as he had earlier this morning. He was watching me as I walked up to him. But the one-time approval on his face was long gone.

  His clothes, like his brother’s, always seemed to be tailored to fit his body. Another one of his attractive qualities.

  Tonight, he was wearing a black wool coat and dark jeans. The sweater under his unbuttoned coat was dark green and it matched the plaid in the newsboy hat he had on the top of his head. He smelled as good as his younger brother, but I held my breath refusing to let any part of him inside me.

  I felt his warm breath against my neck when I slid past him into the truck. It relaxed every tense inch of my body. When he sat beside me, I wanted to look over at him but didn’t. I could feel his eyes on me. I sat stiff with tightened thighs in between both brothers as we made our way down the long, winding driveway and headed for town.

  “Let’s eat at that restaurant. What’s the name of it, Joe?” Justin asked leaning forward and past me to see his brother.

  “The Remedy Bar,” he answered staring out the passenger window.

  “That’s right!” Justin sounded pleased. “I’m telling ya, Karley, the food at this place is ridiculous! And the hot chocolate! It’s to die for! Isn’t it, Joe?”

  Joe didn’t agree or disagree with his comment. He said nothing. I followed Justin’s lead and ignored him.

  “Wow … I’ve never had a hot chocolate to die for!” I laughed.

  “Well, you will tonight,” he assured me. “And the bison pizza! Amazing!”

  I laughed at how excited he sounded.

  “Well, I’m not a huge bison pizza kinda gal,” I confessed playfully.

  “What kinda gal are you, Karley?” Joe asked.

  I didn’t expect Joe to speak to me, let alone ask me a direct question. When his question echoed inside my head it pissed me off. He said it so condescendingly. What the fuck was his problem with me? I expected Justin to say something. He didn’t. He wasn’t paying attention as he glanced in the side mirror so he could change lanes.

  “Oh, my God, girl! You’re missing out!” Justin laughed out loud, unaware of what his brother said. “Is she missing out or what, Joe?”

  “Yep, she’s missing out all right,” Joe answered his brother sarcastically, pretending as if he never asked me the question at all.

  He was still staring out the window looking away from me.

  “Well, maybe tonight will be the start of something to die for,” I said wanting to reach over Joe, pull the door handle up, and push him out.

  I wasn’t sure but I thought I heard him agree with me under his breath.

  When we got to the restaurant, we found a table in the back and sat down. Justin and I ordered Cokes, while Joe ordered a beer.

  “He’s always rubbing it in that he’s old enough to drink in public,” Justin joked throwing a sugar packet at his brother.

  “Knock it off.” Joe sneered as he took his jacket off.

  His sweater fit perfectly, exposing the definition of his lean body beneath it.

  It was hard to look away from him.

  Justin noticed, although he pretended not to as he helped me take off my coat. Watching him take off his coat, I finally saw what he decided to wear tonight.

  His shirt fit him as well as Joe’s sweater. It was plaid with sleeves rolled up halfway. Unbuttoned to his chest, with a white T-shirt under it. The blues and greens of the plaid brought out the color of his eyes as much as the fluorescent lights above us.

 
Both of them looked out of place with me. Then I thought I was the one that looked out of place with them. It was the latter. I was completely out of their league. Around the bar area I saw several girls looking in our direction, silently begging with their eyes to be chosen by either brother. They were wondering which one of the brothers I was with, and hoping it was neither.

  Halfway through dinner, one girl walked up to our table. She was a few years older than me. Her hair was long and dark and the jeans she was wearing were a lot tighter than mine. She looked absolutely amazing in them. Smiling down at Joe, she patiently waited for him to acknowledge her. When he finally looked up at her, he stared with disinterest.

  She didn’t notice.

  Or maybe she didn’t mind.

  “My girlfriends and I noticed your drink was almost gone, and I was wondering if I could buy you another one,” she said seductively biting her bottom lip.

  She was obviously flirting with him.

  As he continued to stare at her for a minute uninterested in her offer, I felt sorry for her. She had no idea how cruel he could be to women.

  “Absolutely.” His smile at her was effortless.

  “Great!” she said smiling. “What are you having?”

  Standing up from his chair he towered over her, and this seemed to excite her more. She was hoping she would be leaving with him tonight.

  “I’ll walk over with you to your friends and order,” he said grabbing his coat. Looking back at Justin, he gave a quick wink and acted as if I wasn’t at the table at all.

  Stunned, I watched him walk slowly behind the bouncing brunette. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I watched him shake hands with all of them as introductions were being given.

  “Karley?”

  I heard my name being called.

  “What?” I asked spinning my head around quickly to look at Justin.

  “Are you okay?”

  He was looking at me with confusion.

  “What?” I looked over at Joe and then back to Justin. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Justin chuckled. “Are you sure?”

  “I … I …” The confused thoughts about what just happened were circling around in my head in a tailspin. “That was weird?”

  “What, that a girl came up to him?”

  “No. I mean, he’s a good-looking guy.”